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Kruskur
Kruskur KRUS-ker Adjectival Form: Plural Noun for Inhabitants: Singular Noun for Inhabitants: Territory of the Trolls. General Information *Capital: Garnash *Population Density: Low *Government: *Predominant Faiths: Nerthune, Zalikar, Wuuluth, Regdin *Imports: Cloth, Wine, Fruit, Livestock *Exports: Stone, Timber, Salt, Coal Overview & Boundaries Kruskur is the land of the trolls. Generally isolationist and mistrusting of other races, Kruskur is one of the youngest established countries on the continent. Kruskur is largely seen as a wild country full of savagry and backwards thinking. Few if any rumors about trolls in the south however are ever anywhere near reality. The truth is that few, if any, ever see anything of the day-to-day affairs of Kruskur other than the gods and the trolls themselves. The one thing that is true is that few things enter Kruskur that do not stay in Kruskur. The land of Kruskur has the Windras Mountains creating and covering its whole border to the South and North West. The rest of the country is blanketed in primeval forest lands of high and ancient trees. No roads go into or out of Kruskur and much of the borderland is governed by strong fortresses meant to warn outsiders away. History Kruskur's history is a relatively short story as the country is so young in the grand scheme. The trolls themselves are not even a native race but were in fact, bred by the giants of Gronth during the days when Gronth ruled most of Nurthru. The sordid history of how the trolls came to be is one that is filled with the shackles of slavery and steeped in the bloody gore of their rebellion against a power that could have once potentially conquerored most if not all of the continent. 'The Empire of Gronth' Centuries ago, Gronth was an expanding power in Nurthru and conquerored much of those lands prior even to the Years of Strife. It was in the years soon after the Years of Founding that the Gronthic gods Ilgird, Thalag, Yesvarian, and Eirgys, made war on and captured Regdin and Wuuluth. They captured the god of orcs and the god of goblins, enslaving their mortal children as they conquerored their lands. The lords of Gronth, absolutely certain of their race's superiority, had no qualms about tampering with the natural world or with taking from those they saw less than themselves. However, as they continued to maintain their large empire, the giants began to realize that they would need more soldiers to contend with the more prolific races the other gods had been creating. They began experimenting with breeding programs to attempt to make a better race, one that could withstand the harshness of wars. Believing even that the least of their kind was superior to any other, they forced the ogres to rape and mate with many different races in their attempt to make a race to fight their wars for them. The eventual outcome that met with the greatest success was pairing the ogres to the hags. These offspring proved resilient even by the giants own standards and physically superior still to the other mortal races. These were the first trolls and giants made certain to keep them tamed and dumb. For years on years the trolls were bred for war and to police their goblinoid and orcish slaves though in truth, the trolls were little better than slaves themselves. The orcs and goblins longed for freedom but had not the heart to try to rise against the giants while their gods were shackled and the trolls kept them in line, not realizing own their own lives paralleled that of the slaves they watched as others of their kind fought and died at the whims of the Gronthic lords. 'The Sympathy of One' Only the sympathy of one of their own led to the ultimate undoing of Gronth's power. Eirgys, once a mortal frost giantess who was brought into godhood, looked upon all that her people did and wept inside to see how they mishandled their might and glory. But she was but one and for many years kept her peace against her surperiors while in her heart an increasing anger growing to bitterness at what was allowed and encouraged persisted. Though the point at which Eirgys finally decided to break with her fellow gods is largely unknown, there are several myths related to the event. Many say that Regdin saw in Eirgys the desire to end what was happening, and said to her, "I see that in your heart you do not agree with your fellows and liege. You may feel you have no choice, but we all have a choice to live as we wish. If you will not act for my people, then look upon the trolls - those poor misbegotten things - and tell me you will not act for your own." This particular version of the story goes that Eirgys turned away but watched what was done and looked upon the other mortal races and was disgusted by what could be if those who were enslaved had the chance to be free. She secretly began teaching the trolls of their ancestery and who they were, telling them what they were intended for annd how they were used. She then pointed to the orcs and goblins saying, "Are you any different? How long before you are as they once they find something better? What will you do then?" Ultimately, Eirgys turned on her fellow Gronthic gods. She stole to Regdin and Wuuluth's prison and smashed their shackles with her hammer after slaying the guards her own fellow gods and placed as their guards and escaped with Regdin and Wuuluth. The giants raged at the betrayal, but now that their gods were free, the orcs and goblins beseeched the trolls - their jailors and the soldiers of Gronth - to join them to support their gods to gain freedom. The trolls, having had the truth of their lives revealed to them, agreed. 'The Great Rebellion of Nurthru' During the era the southern kingdoms refer to as the Age of Strife, the orcs, goblins and the trolls joined Eirgys, Regdin and Wuuluth in rebellion against their Gronthic enslavers. The war was bitter and savage. As powerful and numerous as the trolls, orcs and goblins were the giants were yet strong and mighty beyond the comprehension of many. Eirgys took up her hammer against her own then, knowing that if her new mortal and godly allies were to survive that the Gronthic gods and their best mortal warriors would have to be contended with. So it was that even as the mortals raged in battle, so to did the gods alongside them as the Gronthic gods took the field to fight for what they had taken. It was in those years that Eirgys gained the title Foehammer as she slew champion after champion and defeated her past brothers and sister in combat, leading Regdin and Wuuluth against her previous pantheon. Eventually final battles of the war were waged in an area now known as Tarfolos and the souls of thousands can claim it as their mortal remains resting place. The giants came to realize that even as mighty as they were that the numbers arrayed against them were too many and began to realize that they had relied too heavily on their trolls for too long. They errected a great barrier and fortress walling them into the northern most Windras mountains. The trolls during the war had grown to a state of near frenzy in their bloodlust against their one time masters - angered at the years of toil, sweat and death they bore on their behalf and atrocities they were made to commit. The trolls upon realizing what their former masters were doing, launched one final powerful assault against their hated creators in an attempt to prevent their escape. Thalag, Ilgrid and Yesvarian took to the field once again to repluse the attack but were stymied by Eirgys, Wuuluth and Regdin. Even so, the the fortress walls were finished and the gates closed sealing the remaining giants behind to their grisly fates. At the end of the war, the trolls and warriors of the orcs and goblins beseeched their gods one final thing - that the land of Tarfolos be forever death to the giants should they cross it from their lands - that they be allowed to remain and stay forever vigilent against their coming into those lands. With a heavy heart and the urging of Wuuluth, Eirgys agreed to help with the idea that those who had fallen for what they so believed in should have the choice to choose their fates. Wuuluth, Eirgys and Regdin then cursed the land known as Tarfolos. The waters of the Kulwatr became as poison to mortal souls who drank of it and the slain were granted their wish to forever haunt and guard the gates of Gronth from any who might free the giants of their self appointed prison. The Great Rebellion of Nurthru was won at a great price. 'The Founding of Three' The end of the Rebellion was colored the fact that the three races no longer had the reason to cooperate with one another. Even as their deities shook hands and made their own agreements, the trolls, orcs and goblins seperated to go their different ways. The trolls left then and founded the country of Kruskur. From the years of lies and miss-managment at the hands of the giants, the trolls adopted a philosophy of isolationism and miss-trust for the rest of the world. Not having any formal deities of their own and having witnessed the power such beings possessed, the trolls beseeched the homeless Eirgys to become their patron and goddess. Though the Rebellion years had seen her gain an influx of mortals who paid her homage if not direct worship, Eirgys no longer had an established church, religion or pantheon to call home although Regdin and Wuuluth had promised her she would have friends and allies amongst the gods whenever she needed them. She accepted the beseechment to become the patron deity of the trolls with gratitude the irony many historians point out is that she is still more or less a goddess of giants. Eirgys asked the trolls to give her a new name and they called her Nerthune. To ensure that the races of Nurthru again were never so easily enslaved, Eirgys beseeched Wuuluth and Regdin to support her in ascending worthy mortals who had distinguished themselves during these troubled times from the three races. Zalikar was chosen from the trolls to join alongside Nerthune with pride representing the trollish race. The three races created seperate countries of their own and since the founding of Kruskur the trolls have savagely tried to keep to their own. Indeed many races know next to nothing about the goings on in Kruskur and the violence the showed during the rebellion has opted many other races to gladly leave well enough alone. As such, Kruskur may enjoy very little trade with the rest of the continent but is firm in its anonymity though occassionally some are drawn away or separated from the rest and a few who did not join in the rebellion still dwell in Gronth under the heel of the giants. 'A Country of Their Own' Kruskur did not come about immediately. After the trolls were given an allotment of land inbetween the orcs and goblins in the treaties following the great rebellion, they found the land cramped and small. The trolls sent expeditions south to try and colonize new areas. This soon brought them into contention with Kutarg's dragonkin and kobolds. While there were officially no wars fought, Kruskur's boundary in the end increased to the edge of the Windras Mountains to the South and West. These lands have been in Kruskur's hands now since the ending days of the Age of Strife and Kutarg has not done much to challenge it. Since then, Kruskur has been extremely isolationist and the border is dotted by powerful fortressess that would be difficult for the most determined army to take. While there has never been a real war documented between Kruskur and Kutarg, their is none-the-less a lasting animosity there that has not diminished over the years. Religion Religion is something that's surprisingly fairly near to the heart of many trolls. Most openly venerate Nerthune as their primary patron and strictly observe her religious holidays with nearly fanatical zeal. Zalikar is also often honored heavily with his symbols in evidence in all the major fortresses bordering Kruskur. Many outsiders unfamilar with the ways of trolls find this idea an oddity from the normally mistrusting and stoic trolls commonly encountered in their fortresses or trading at the borderlands between Kruskur, Gurgolmaash and Druglug. Newcomers to these rare meetings are often warned beforehand by any goblins or orcs around to take care about any prolific displays or overtures concerning outsider faiths as many trolls take it as a high insult for a deity outside of Nerthune's immediate allies to be blatantly preached to them. This in truth has nothing to do with Nerthune's doctrine or even Zalikar's so much as being an intrinsic part of Kurkur's culture of mistrust. Most trolls will be found to be very unsympathetic to the 'outside' religions having been so mishandled by the Gronthian gods. Anyone bold foolish enough to brazenly wear a token to one of Gronth's deities will likely find himself hacked to pieces or thrashed into paste. Life & Society Relations The trolls interact with other races only seldomly and usually only when they must. They are even cool with Gurgolmaash and Druglug despite their past shared struggles though they do continue to meet peacably with both during their three countries shared holy days. They view the kobolds and dragonkin of Kutarg with suspicion and mistrust and generally treat the elves of portiri with a negligent disdain. They respect the warriors of Ysven, but mark them as a people too wild to trust and particularly dislike the pleas for audience the thanes send their way on rare occasion. Some speculate that since Druglug skirmishes and occassionally battles them as yet and Gurgolmaash remains cool towards the infant country that Kruskur will continue to maintain its general silence to them as well. Likely nothing short of a truly bold or courageous embassy will ever have a chance of breaking the ice properly despite Ysven's contentions with Gronth. In general, the feeling most races have diplomatically towards Kruskur is to let them do things at their own pace. One Portiri statesman is quoted as saying, "I can say but one thing concerning Kruskur with full knowledge. Do not bother them and they will not bother you. Only fools willingly poke a sleeping bear." Places of Interest Major Holdings Cities Fortresses Major Arteries Roads and Tradeways Rivers Notable Ruins or Sites Major Landforms